RE: [HSChorus] Re: Question re Chorus Endowment Funds 29-Jul-2007 15:57:21

George I couldn't agree more. Seeing as how we are the primary contributors and beneficiaries it seems only reasonable that the HSO would provide us with the annual financial statement showing contributions, investment income, expenses and net profit to endowment. We receive limited information, although much appreciated, in the annual campaigns where we are "ALL" encouraged to donate.

I recommend the board present these e-mails and all comments on this matter at the next board meeting with Charles and ask that the treasurer for the Endowment (who I think is a person on the HSO staff) produce the required annual report and financial statement. Please also invite Dave Nussmann to the meeting.

the real question is this: how can we as an organization continue to ask for money from
its members year after year to support the endowment, when we really don't hold
ourselves accountable on how money is being spent (or allocated)?

i don't question how the money is to be used. i leave that up to our director. but
i do think that this organization needs to disclose to its members (and council) what are the policies
that govern endowment expenditures, how the funds are being allocated and a reasonable explanation
as to why and how this happens.

on this point, it is incumbent on the council to insist on being involved at every step how this is carried out.
if not, why even have a council? just to fulfill some requirement from the HSO? I think not. We have
some really intelligent and reasonable people on this council. They need to stay involved. They need to be
the voice and advocate of our choral members.

When I was on the council, it became abundantly clear that we really had no voice in any of these matters. It was the symphony's money to use as they saw fit. If they approved whatever it was that we asked for, we could get it, but no one really asked us what WE (the chorus grunts) wanted. At any level. L

If there isn't a written mission statement, policy, and procedures document, there should be, don't you think? Especially since we do solicit and receive donations from non-chorus members as well. We owe it to them--and ourselves--to be using the funds the way they were intended.

----- Original Message ----- From: judithia2000
To: HSChorus@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:34 PM
Subject: [HSChorus] Re: Question re Chorus Endowment Funds

I would like to know the answer to that as well and... I would like to see a financial report on the financial history of the endowment presented to the chorus that includes the following information:

The total current balance of the Endowment fund
Earnings available for use this current year
Earnings available for use in prior years
How those earnings were used
What the proposed use is for this year
Who decides?

I should probably know this as well, but time goes by and sometimes recall gets garbled.

It is our fund and our money that we are encouraged to contribute each year and we do have a right to know these answers

--- In HSChorus@yahoogroup <mailto:HSChorus%40yahoogroups.com> s.com, "Suzanne Mitchell"
<smitchell1979@...> wrote:

George I couldn’t agree more. Seeing as how we are the primary contributors and beneficiaries it seems only reasonable that the HSO would provide us with the annual financial statement showing contributions, investment income, expenses and net profit to endowment. We receive limited information, although much appreciated, in the annual campaigns where we are “ALL” encouraged to donate.

Ramona Alms

From: HSChorus@yahoogroups.com [mailto:HSChorus@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Howe, George
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:59 PM
To: Joe A. Anzaldua, M.D.; lpeters@garygreene.com
Cc: P Bumpus; judithia2000; HSChorus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [HSChorus] Re: Question re Chorus Endowment Funds

George Howe

Senior Estimator

Direct Line: 713 346 0949

Fax: 713 222 1414

mailto:ghowe@spawmax.com

From: HSChorus@yahoogroups.com [mailto:HSChorus@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Joe A. Anzaldua, M.D.
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:14 AM
To: lpeters@garygreene.com
Cc: 'P Bumpus'; 'judithia2000'; HSChorus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [HSChorus] Re: Question re Chorus Endowment Funds

sadly, at my first meeting on the council, i also raised this question.
for me, it was an issue of accountability to the HSC but more importantly to its
members. i too, never got a straight answer. my concerns obviously fell on deaf ears.

the real question is this: how can we as an organization continue to ask for money from
its members year after year to support the endowment, when we really don't hold
ourselves accountable on how money is being spent (or allocated)?

i don't question how the money is to be used. i leave that up to our director. but
i do think that this organization needs to disclose to its members (and council) what are the policies
that govern endowment expenditures, how the funds are being allocated and a reasonable explanation
as to why and how this happens.

on this point, it is incumbent on the council to insist on being involved at every step how this is carried out.
if not, why even have a council? just to fulfill some requirement from the HSO? I think not. We have
some really intelligent and reasonable people on this council. They need to stay involved. They need to be
the voice and advocate of our choral members.

my opinion...
ja

Linda Peters wrote:

When I was on the council, it became abundantly clear that we really had no voice in any of these matters. It was the symphony’s money to use as they saw fit. If they approved whatever it was that we asked for, we could get it, but no one really asked us what WE (the chorus grunts) wanted. At any level. L

If there isn't a written mission statement, policy, and procedures document, there should be, don't you think? Especially since we do solicit and receive donations from non-chorus members as well. We owe it to them--and ourselves--to be using the funds the way they were intended.

Pat B

----- Original Message -----

From: judithia2000

To: HSChorus@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:34 PM

Subject: [HSChorus] Re: Question re Chorus Endowment Funds

I would like to know the answer to that as well and... I would like to
see a financial report on the financial history of the endowment
presented to the chorus that includes the following information:

The total current balance of the Endowment fund
Earnings available for use this current year
Earnings available for use in prior years
How those earnings were used
What the proposed use is for this year
Who decides?

I should probably know this as well, but time goes by and sometimes
recall gets garbled.

It is our fund and our money that we are encouraged to contribute each
year and we do have a right to know these answers

Judy Hill

--- In HSChorus@yahoogroups.com, "Suzanne Mitchell"
<smitchell1979@...> wrote:
>
> Hello all. Hope you're enjoying your summer! I don't want to stir up any
> kind of hornet's nest, but I do have a question that I hope someone can
> answer.
>
>
>
> Re the statement in the most recent HSC Chronicles about the Chorus
> Endowment making possible the performance of the Mendelssohn St Paul.are
> there any kind of written guidelines about what the Endowment $$ can
be used
> for? Is it completely up to the discretion of the conductor? Does
the Chorus
> Council have any input into those kinds of decisions and, if so, is
there a
> process for chorus members to give input to the Chorus Council prior to
> these discussions?
>
>
>
> I ask from the standpoint of someone who has contributed a decent
amount of
> $$ every year to the endowment (and I suppose that due diligence
would have
> suggested I should know the answers to the questions I have asked before
> donating $$, so I am sorry for my own lapse either in knowledge or
memory!
> :-)).and although of course it's nice to sing another piece (and was
nice to
> do the CD, which as I recall was also supported by the Endowment), I
also
> think there might be other uses for that $$ that might benefit the
chorus in
> different ways (eg some of the "Western Wind' ensemble kinds of training
> that Roger Cutler has talked about in the past.).
>
>
>
> Thanks for your help - - inquiring minds want to know!
>
>
>
> Cheers. suzanne

__._,_.___

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